CHICAGO – Joel Ward didn’t have the pleasure of playing against the defending Stanley Cup champions the last time San Jose visited Chicago on Dec. 20. The forward was still suffering the aftereffects of getting checked hard into the boards in a game in Ottawa two nights earlier.
Ward will be in on Tuesday, though, as will Logan Couture and Melker Karlsson, who were also both out for the last game here. A fully healthy Sharks roster will get another crack at beating the Blackhawks, who have won three straight and are again a concrete contender for another championship.